Code of Ethics
The College of Policing Code of Ethics outlines the professional behaviours that the public can expect to see from police officers, staff and volunteers.
The Code of Ethics supports everyone in policing to deliver a service that is fair, ethical and can be trusted to make decisions in the interest of keeping people safe.
Following the Code of Ethics will help police professionals ensure they are doing the right things, in the right way for the right reasons.
The Code of Ethics will work alongside a separate statutory Code of Practice for Ethical Policing, which was launched in December 2023 and sets out the actions that chief officers should take to support people in their force to use the ethical policing principles and to demonstrate professional behaviour.
Ethical policing principles
These provide support for police professionals in making ethical decisions and explaining them with openness and transparency. The principles are:
- Courage – demonstrating integrity and transparency in our decisions, leading by example and challenging anything that could bring our profession into disrepute.
- Respect and empathy – listening to and understanding the needs of the public, and trying to recognise and respond to the physical, mental and emotional challenges that both colleagues and members of the public face.
- Public service – the commitment to work in the public interest, communicate clearly and openly, and take pride in providing an excellent service to the public.
Guidance for ethical and professional behaviour in policing
This describes how policing professionals should behave and helps everyone in policing apply the ethical policing principles in their role. The guidance provides practical advice on areas of policing that are important to maintaining public trust and legitimacy, such as:
- being open, honest and candid
- treating all people and their property with fairness, dignity and respect
- challenging or reporting behaviour that is unprofessional